


In a Flash (Twilight 25-Round 8)

by MaddietheMuse



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Multiple Pairings, Multiple Ratings, TT25, The Twilight 25, The Twilight 25 Round 8, Twilight 25 Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-18
Updated: 2013-11-29
Packaged: 2017-12-29 22:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 10,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1010977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddietheMuse/pseuds/MaddietheMuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for <a href="http://www.thetwilight25.com/">The Twilight Twenty-Five Challenge</a>, Round 8 (September 1-November30, 2013). The challenge is to write 25 pieces in three months, each between 300-500 words, all based on photo prompts. Each chapter is a different prompt entry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 19 Letting Go

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: noted at the top of each entry
> 
> Rating: noted at the top of each entry
> 
> Status: In progress (each chapter is a stand alone flash-fic)
> 
> Disclaimer: The following is based on the characters, settings, and events from the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. All recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The author, known by the pen name Maddie-the-Muse, is in no way associated with Stephenie Meyer, or the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise related to The Twilight series. Only aspects entirely unique and original to this story are owned by this story's author. This work is intended for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.

[ **The Twilight Twenty-Five** ](http://www.thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #19

  
  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Jacob/Bella  
Rating: G  
Word Count: 395

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

 

* * *

 

He went to visit her grave every year on her birthday, despite knowing that she didn't actually lie in the casket buried there. He knew that, technically, she wasn't dead, but also that she could never again be described as alive.

He'd sit on the dried grass covering her grave, and lean back against the headstone carved with dates that represented nothing. As far as he was concerned, she had died long before the date carved there—the date that her death was faked for her family's benefit. That was the day he knew that he would never see her again. It had been nearly 20 years now, and he came to sit in this spot every year, no longer having to wait until Charlie had come and gone since he had passed away himself a couple of years ago.

He spoke to her, knowing that she would never hear him. It was easier to pretend that she was actually dead than walking around somewhere, undead.

"Hey, Bells. Happy Birthday." His voice shaky with emotions he felt ashamed at still carrying around. Taking a deep breath he kneeled facing the headstone and slowly let the breath out as he scrubbed a hand over his face. "I don't know why I still come here. Habit I guess."

He sat quietly, listening to the birds chirping in the distance. "I can't do it anymore, Bella. I need to move on. I'm too old and too tired to carry around the memory of a girl that was too damn stupid to live her life. I'm sorry. I love you, but I'm done. I hope you're happy, where ever you are."

After another long quite moment, he wiped the tears that had spilled out over his lower lashes and rose to his feet.

 

She watched from her perch in the tree tops downwind from the grave yard as he turned and slowly walked back to his truck parked at the gate. The tension in her chest she felt every time she listened to him speak at her headstone tightened until she felt like it might break her in half. She had come every year to listen to the stories he told the empty grave, pretending for just one day that she had made the right decision; that she hadn't thrown her life away—that Jacob could really be hers.

 

 


	2. 02 Bucket List

[ **The Twilight Twenty-Five** ](http://www.thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #2

  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Leah/?  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 498

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/)

* * *

 

"This was on the porch for you," Seth said, tossing a shoe box tied with twine through Leah's open bedroom door.

She caught the box, turning it right side up to examine it, before looking toward the door to ask who it was from, but Seth had already moved on down the hall to his own room.

She carefully pulled the end of the twine, loosening the bow, and lifted the lid. The box held a collection of paper scraps and a few other small items. On the top of the pile a sheet of lined paper from a note pad sat folded in half. She placed the box on her bed and picked the note out of the box, unfolding it as her curiosity got the better of her. The note was short, written in neat block letters, and un-signed.

_Leah,_

_If things were different, I would take you to all the places you talk about. I'd find a way to make your dreams come true. Maybe one day, I'll be brave enough to actually talk to you about it, until then, I'll bring those places to you._

_xo_

Leah flipped the paper over, looking for a clue as to who could have written it, but there was none.

Setting the letter aside, she started lifting items from the box: a photo of the Eiffel tower at sunset, a small vial of black sand, a cheesy postcard of someone going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, pictures clipped from travel magazines—The Grand Canyon, Machu Picchu, Big Ben—a sticker of a cartoon Venetian gondolier. The contents seemed endless, and with each one that Leah pulled from the box, she marvelled at the very idea that someone had paid such close attention to her to enable them to collect all of her travel dreams together.

But who?

She couldn't remember talking to anyone specifically about wanting to see the black sand beaches of Maui or taking a road trip to the Grand Canyon, but these were things she had dreamed of doing since she was little.

Overwhelmed and excited, she dug further into the box, her fingers shaking as she pulled more of her bucket-list dreams and spread them out on the quilt covering her bed.

A tiny snow globe with Stonehenge inside, a keychain with a San Francisco trolley dangling from it, things near to home—the Space Needle—and things far thrown—The Leaning Tower of Pisa. The collection grew until the entire surface of her bed was covered.

The last item in the box was a small pink envelope. With shaking hands, she lifted it and pulled out a Lady and the Tramp valentine card, the perforated type children give out in elementary school. A smile spread across her mouth—Valentine's day had passed months ago. Flipping it over, she found the same neat block letters: _Be my valentine? Meet me tonight at the place you go when you need to get away. Midnight._

 

 

 

 


	3. 25 Be Home Soon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Possible trigger, see end notes for details.

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://www.thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #25

Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Embry Call / Quil Ateara (Claire Young, Joy Ateara)  
Rating: T*  
Word Count: 493

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

* * *

 

Flopping down onto the small bed, Embry dialed into his voicemail and pressed 1 twice to listen to the saved message there.

_"Embry, hey, I hope you can hear me. I'm at the train station, it's crazy loud."_

Embry could hear scuffling on the message as Quil shifted, trying to find a way to block out the background noise. He could see it in his mind; Quil pressing further into the corner that he had chosen to make the call from, turning away from the crowds of people that bustled past.

_"I'm done here. My train leaves in about half an hour. Fuck, I miss you. I can't wait to see you...shit, I've got another call coming in; I have to go. I'll be home soon. Love you."_

He'd been so excited when he had heard it the first time while walking to the truck after leaving work. Quil had been gone for a little over two weeks—sent to San Francisco for training for his new position at the paper in Port Angeles—and Embry was antsy to see him again. They hadn't ever been apart that long since the summer Quil had returned from college and their relationship had evolved.

Claire was sixteen that summer and Quil had finally told her the truth about the imprint, having discussed it with Jake, the council, and her Mom, of course. She'd shut him down pretty firmly, asserting that she could never see him in any other way than as her brother, and encouraged him to go and find someone who could love him back. It hadn't taken long for Embry to come forward with his feeling for his best friend after that, and they'd been practically inseparable since. That had been almost two years ago.

Embry pressed a button and tucked the phone against his ear again, waiting for the familiar sound of Quil's voice to sooth his raw nerves. He'd listened to it so many times the words had become a permanent part of his brain. He rolled toward the wall, curling around the phone in a tight ball. The faded wallpaper of the dusty room swam as tears welled up in his eyes.

Joy Ateara watched from the doorway of her son's childhood bedroom as she watched a man she'd known since he was a boy—a man she knew as well as her own son—broke down in body wracking sobs. It was a scene she'd come all too familiar with since the accident. It didn't make it any easier on either of them.

Drawing a deep, shaking breath, she wiped the stray tear that spilled over her own cheek and pulled the door closed as she backed out of the room, leaving Embry to his grief. Her son was never coming home.

The train left the tracks in the dead of night just outside of Crater Lake National Park. The investigators said ice on the tracks was to blame.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This drabble deals with grief of losing a loved one. The death is of a major character but isn't depicted in the story itself. Just the suffering of the other partner after the death.


	4. 12 Exit Stairs

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://www.thetwilight25.com)

Prompt: #12

Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Bella Swan  
Rating: G  
Word Count: 300

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

* * *

 

The emergency stairs leading to Chiltern Street look nothing like the ones in the theatre back in Forks, but every time she gets off the Circle Line at Baker Street she thinks back a lifetime ago to a conversation she had with her then best friend while sitting on the stairs of the theatre.

It had been decades since she had thought about Jacob, or Forks at all for that matter, the first time she saw the stairs. She couldn't place just what about them brought the memories, but every time she had to go to the library at Westminster University, which these days happened with increasing frequency, thoughts of the boy who had professed his undying love for her came rushing back.

Stopping at the bottom of the emergency stairs, she lost herself in the memories yet again. She wondered if he had ever found someone to return the abundance of love he had to give, or if she had taken that chance away from him completely. She feared that he may have turned hard and avoided connecting with anyone after she, as he had said, died.  She had often thought of looking into his life—to see if he was happy—but had always stopped after a brief search had come up dry. He'd be an old man now, and finding out that she had prevented him from finding someone to love was more than she was willing to endure.

Someone bumped into her back, drawing her back to reality. Drawing a deep breath, Bella shook her head as if to clear away the cloudy visions of a life past, and made her way toward the exit. She had a lecture to prepare for, and Edward would worry if she were later than she said she would be. 


	5. 09 Hope

 

 [ **The Twilight Twenty-Five**](http://www.thetwilight25.com)

 

Prompt: #9

  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Jacob/Bella  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 395

 

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

* * *

 

They had been sitting quietly together in the forest so long that his knees were starting to ache from being crossed and motionless. They hadn't said anything to each other in a while. That was part of what he liked so much about being with Bella—apart from falling head over heels in love with her, that is—was that they didn't need to be talking all the time. It was never uncomfortable; just quiet. Just being with her made him feel better; it let him forget for just a little while that his whole world had been turned upside down and that he'd never really get it back. He liked to think that spending time with him helped her too, he was sure it did.

 

She shifted next to him, stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned back against the big pine tree at their back. He had been afraid that she was getting up, signalling that it was time to start heading back down; back to reality and the responsibility that had been thrust upon him. Instead, she stretched her arm out to where his hand rested on his thigh and wove her fingers with his. It was such a simple gesture, one that wasn't new at all—he'd held her hand a thousand times before—but, still, one that made his heart feel like it was going to burst out of his chest and take flight all on its own.

 

He chanced a glance over his shoulder to see the tiniest hint of a shy smile turning the corners of her mouth up. He knew there was no point in trying to hide the hopeful look on his face in response. She had taken his hand, not the other way around. She was smiling at him with a clear look of uncertainty. It breathed hope into his lungs that felt like they'd given up on breathing ever again. He'd thought that he'd lost her forever; had thought that he'd never get his heart back since he'd given it to her when she'd said she didn't want it.

 

He knew better than to read too far into it. It could mean nothing to her at all, after all, but it could be the first step in the direction he'd hoped they would go for so long, and he'd take that.


	6. 01 Last Light

 

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://www.thetwilight25.com)

Prompt: #1

  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Sam/Leah  
Rating: K+  
Word Count: 305

Photo prompts can be found[ here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

 

* * *

 

 

She wanted to ask him again where he's been. She wanted to demand that he explain to her where he'd gone for so long without calling, but couldn't bring herself to even think about doing it. Having that conversation would involve moving, and she couldn't fathom not having his arms wrapped tight around her right now. She'd missed this; missed having him hold her; missed being warm; missed feeling safe and loved.

 

He wanted to hold on to this moment forever. Wanted to remember every detail of it; how she felt in his arms, how her hair smelled as he buried his nose in it and drew deep comforting breaths, how warmth seemed to flood through his chest whenever he was near her. He'd missed her so much while he had been gone, and knew that when he dropped her at home tonight, after he'd told her the truth, that he'd never again have the chance to hold her close and tell her that he loved her. And he does, still love her, despite everything. He would give anything to change things, but even her father has told him there's nothing that can be done about it.

 

The days' last light starts to fade, the crickets starting their nightly song, and Sam knows he has to do it; knows he has to break the heart he hold so dearly. He brushes her hair to the side and places his lips to the back of her neck, and he can feel the smile radiate through her body even though he can't see it on her face. He can feel her happiness and knows in a minute it will be gone. Hopefully, it won't be lost forever.

"Leah," he whispers her name into her skin like a prayer, "there's something I need to talk to you about."


	7. 10 Wish

 

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://www.thetwilight25.com)

Prompt: #10

  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Embry/Leah  
Rating: K+  
Word Count: 321

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

* * *

 

 

He watches her every chance he gets. The same thoughts always coming to mind when he does; Leah Clearwater is perfect, at least as far as he's concerned. Sure, she was sad and viciously angry, and kept to herself all the time. But really, who could blame her? He just can't get his mind wrapped around how that idiot Uley could have ever hurt her the way he did. She was the girl he'd wish for if there were a well he could toss a coin in and make such a wish.

Instead he watches her from a far. He watches and wonders how he'd try to make her smile—make her forget that her heart had been torn in two—if only he could work up the courage to even speak to her. To even let her know that he existed.

But what would Leah—smart, beautiful, broken Leah—want with him. He was a 15 year old outcast, bastard. He didn't fit in. He had nothing to offer her beyond his heart, which he'd give her in place of her own if she'd asked him to. He'd give her anything he had; everything really.

"Dude, are you even listening?" Quil asks, elbowing Embry in the ribs and pulling him out of his reverie.

He responds to Quil's persistent, needy plea for attention, still distracted, "What?" His eyes follow as Leah walks past them down the hallway, her books clutched tight to her chest, her head down, and walking fast to avoid having to talk to anyone as she makes her way to the front door of the tribal school.

"I asked what the hell you'd done to piss Cameron and Lahote off so bad? They've been staring at you all week like they're out for your blood or something, man." Quil responded, stepping into his line of sight just as Leah turned the corner and disappeared for another day.


	8. 17 Fresh Meat

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://http/www.thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #17

 

Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Characters: Leah Clearwater, Seth Clearwater, Quil Ateara  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 335

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

* * *

 

 

"Hey, Leah, maybe you should sign up," Quil said jabbing Leah in the ribs with his elbow as they passed the Forks roller rink. He pointed to the roller derby fresh meat recruitment poster in the window.

"Right, I don't think team sports are really my thing, do you?" Leah scoffed, picking up her pace to get ahead of the boys.

"Oh come on, Leah!" Seth joined in enthusiastically. "You'd be awesome. You're crazy fast on four paws, I bet you'd be a blur on wheels."

"Totally," Quil agreed.

Leah kept walking, ignoring her brother and Quil as they chattered back and forth about Leah's future in roller derby. Honestly, she had bigger goals in life than trying to get on a team with a bunch of catty women; like convincing Sam to let her leave La Push for starters—preferably without actually having to speak to him.

"What would her derby name be?" Quil gave up pestering Leah about it and fell into step with Seth behind her.

"It's got to be something specific to her, right? Like, describing her somehow, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but punny," Quil agreed with Seth. Leah just rolled her eyes and continued down the street, lamenting how she'd been sent into town with these idiots in the first place. "How about La Push-over," he suggested.

"That doesn't suit her at all," Seth laughed. "More like First Bitch!"

"Oh, oh, Dude! How about Kill-eute? You know, like Quileuete?"

"I don't think it really works if you need to explain it."

"Right. What about playing on being a wolf? Like, I don't know, Lupin Lizard?"

"Dude, that was awful."

"Yeah, I know."

"Okay, what about Nuke-Leah?" Seth suggested with an excited wiggle of his eyebrows for emphasis.

"Would you idiots, can it?" Leah cut them off and turned to face them. "If I were going to join, which I'm not, I'd be Squawarrior." She rolled her eyes and continued down the block.

So, maybe she's thought about it once or twice.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This, like roller derby names in the real world, is meant to be a simple, fun, play on words and is not meant to be derogatory. There is a native roller derby player who goes by the name Sqaurrior. She played on the Kahnawake Wagon Burners from Quebec, a team made primarily of Native women.


	9. 18 That's Cool

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://http//www.thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #18

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-31-50-1_zpstqwkgjfn.png%20width=)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Embry/Quil  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 441

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://http//www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

* * *

 

"You're so smooth, Atera," Embry quipped and gave Quil a shove from behind once they were out of earshot of the garage. "You know you haven't got a chance with her; Jake would fuckin' murder you if you so much as thought about touching his girl!"

"She ain't his girl." Quil shoved Embry back as they walked along.

"Yeah? Tell him that."

They'd just met  _thee_  Bella Swan for the first time, and quite frankly, Embry couldn't really see what the big deal was. Sure, she was pretty in that plain-Jane sort of way, but the girl seemed about as dull as an unsalted soup cracker to him. They continued down the street, playfully harassing one another as they went.

"She's not really my type, anyway," Quil said, kicking a pile of leaves at Embry from the parking lot in front of the school.

Embry scoffed in disbelief, followed by a shriek of "Asshole!" as water from the sloppy pile of leaves, wet from days of rain, soaked into his jeans. He immediately retaliated by bending to scoop two huge handfuls of the leave and started to chase Quil across the parking lot. "Who is your type then, huh?" Embry teased as he easily caught up to Quill and dumped the soggy leaves over his head.

"Shit, man. Okay, Uncle. Uncle! You win," Quil shrieked. He busied himself with removing the wet leaves from his hair and jumping around to dislodge the ones that had slid down the back of his sweatshirt while Embry doubled over in laughter.

"So?" Embry prompted with a bump to Quil's shoulder as they continued walking along in front of the community centre. After a confused look from Quil he added, "if Bella's not your type, what are you looking for in a girl?"

"I don't know, man." Quil blushed and rubbed a hand nervously over the back of his neck. "I'm not really that into any girls right now," Quil muttered under his breath, giving Embry an awkward sideways glance.

Embry raised a questioning eyebrow at Quil as he watched the slight brush crawl up his cheeks. They'd never really talked about it before, but it didn't really surprise him to hear what he thought Quil was trying to tell him. The stats said something like ten percent of the population was gay or bi.

They stopped on the corner where they always parted to go to their own houses, and Quil fidgeted uneasily.

"That's cool," Embry said, shrugging his shoulders and nodding his head. Quil hadn't out right said he wasn't into girls, but it didn't matter one way or the other to him. 


	10. 14 Jive Time

 

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://www.thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #14

  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Characters: Leah Clearwater, Paul Lahote  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 423

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

* * *

 

She flipped through the stacks of dusty old vinyl, not looking for anything in particular, just looking. That was the best way to find the hidden gems amongst the stacks and stacks of old scratched records that nobody wanted. Every few weeks, Leah found herself inside Jive Time Records waiting for something to speak to her. It had become sort of a routine since she'd moved to Seattle a few years ago.

She picked up a Nina Simone LP, flipping it over to see the track listing, and putting it back. If it didn't have  _Love Me or Leave Me_  on it, she wasn't interested. She retrieved her coffee cup from where she'd parked it on the floor safely away from the records and made her way to the racks in the window.

"Leah?"

She looked to the door where a man stood silhouetted by the sun filtering in behind him.

"Paul?" She asked disbelievingly. His face became clear as he walked to ward her and out of the light; it was one she hadn't seen in years. She walked forward to meet him and after a split second of hesitation on both parts, she reached out and drew him in for a hug. "Holy shit. What are you doing here?"

"I was just walking past and I saw you in the window. I had to stop and see if it was actually you," He explained. He held her by the shoulders at arm's length, examining her carefully, like he didn't believe she was actually real.

"No. What are you doing here: in Seattle?" Leah stepped back out of Paul's grip, feeling the overwhelming flood of her past crushing down on her from his too-hot hands.

"Oh! Right," he laughed, shaking his head. "Rachel and I live over in Capitol Hill. Do you live around here?" Paul asked.

Leah nodded absently "Yeah." She marveled at how relaxed and almost happy he looked. The Paul she had known back in La Push had a permanent scowl on his face.

"I was just on my way to get the rug rats from day care, but we should totally get together and catch up," he said, pulling a business card from his wallet and passing it to Leah. She took it, studying the logo and title there.

"Yeah, we should do that," she agreed. "I guess lots has changed since I left, huh?" She mused to herself and smiled back as Paul clapped a hand on her shoulder and grinned at her before turning to leave.


	11. 13 Imprint

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://www.thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #13

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-31-01-1_zpsxpwnuhck.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Rachel Black / Paul Lahote (Jacob Black, Billy Black)  
Rating: M  
Word Count: 326

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://www.thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts/).

* * *

 

That was a lot to swallow all at once. Wolves? Imprinting? Vampires...seriously? Did I slip into a fantasy world on the way back here?

I didn't want to stay in La Push. I haven't really wanted to be here since Mom died. It feels too small; like I'm choking every time I walk out the front door. But I could already feel the pull, deep in my gut; like some parasite attached to my intestine. Making my insides twist at the very idea of walking away from here now; Away from him.

_Paul._

Paul Lahote, of all people, was the reason I was considering sticking around the shit hole I had vowed I would never call home again. Dad said I could reject the imprint; just walk away. He said it was entirely up to me. It sure doesn't feel that way.

I didn't really know Paul before I'd moved away, but I'd heard enough to know that he had a reputation. Not a good one either. Leah called him a man whore.

I wished I could talk to Becca about this, but Dad said I wasn't allowed to tell her the whole story, and how was I supposed to explain it to her without it? Love at first sight? Yeah right. She knows me a little better that that.

Some guy that I don't know, sees me once, and falls head over heels for me? That's some crazy storybook shit. Oh, yeah and he turns into a giant vampire hunting wolf, too.

Fuck my life.

"Rach, you okay?" Jacob's voice pulled me from my tangled web of thoughts. He leaned on the door frame of my bedroom.

I stopped pacing, something I hadn't even realized I had been doing, and sat on my old bed. "Not even remotely," I sighed as I drew my legs up under me and pulled the sleeves of Dad's old fishing sweater over my hands.

_I wish Mom was here._


	12. 06 Happily Ever After

[The Twilight Twenty-Five  
](http://%20thetwilight25.com/)Prompt: #6

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-29-45-1_zpsh7lay3xf.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Rachel Black / Paul Lahote  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 439  
Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts)

 

* * *

 

Like many other little girls, when Rachel Black was a little she dreamed of living a fairy tale life. Imagined meeting a handsome, dashing young man who would sweep her off her feet and win her heart, and whisk her to some far off land where they would live happily ever after in a castle.

When she got a little older, her dreams changed. She gave up the dreams of happily ever after depending on a man. She was determined to be the hero of her own story. She studied hard to get a scholarship to Washington State and left La Push, for what she hoped would be for good.

It has been four years since she has been back on the reservation. These days her life feels more like a dark comedy than a fairy tale most of the time. In an ironic twist of fate, it was a handsome young man that was behind her decision to stay in the town she had fought so hard to get free of. And despite his treating her like a princess, he was not, in fact, a prince. No, he was more what one would think of as the antagonist in a fairy tale; the big bad wolf, minus the bad.

If she spent too much time thinking about that little detail, she started to feel like her sanity was slipping through her fingers, but looking around at the life they had created for themselves brought it all back into focus.

Her English degree from WSU had allowed her to earn her teaching certificate through correspondence and she had been fortunate enough to land a job at Forks High School last year. Paul worked for her little brother at the garage and things had become quiet enough that they only shifted out of habit and to burn off excess energy rather than out of the necessity of protecting the tribe. Perhaps their biggest accomplishment was that she and Paul no longer lived with her father. Even if they had only managed to move next door after Mrs. Tucker went to live at the retirement home in Forks, they had their own roof over their heads and a warm bed to sleep in at night.

Looking down at the white plastic stick with its urine soaked felt tip in her hand; she couldn't help but think that the restful nights were numbered. Soon their quite little house would be filled with the sounds of cried in the night and the patter of little feet, and she couldn't be happier about it.

Maybe this old house could be a castle after all.


	13. Chapter 13

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #7 (Lonely Alone)

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-29-55-1_zpsleybtatf.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Quil Ateara  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 324

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

* * *

 

Quil hunched his shoulders against the chilled wet air as he walked along the path through the trees. The woods were eerily quiet, or maybe he just wasn't used to hearing the sounds of nature because he wasn't used to walking this trail alone. He wasn't used to being alone in general, really. It seemed like he hadn't been alone in a long time; years. But alone—lonely—was a feeling he was slowly getting used to.

Lonely wasn't a choice he'd made for himself—not by a long shot. He liked having his friends with him everywhere he went. He didn't like that they didn't have time for him anymore. He didn't like that they wouldn't give him a reason for why they had suddenly decided they would rather hang out with Uley and his thugs than with him.

He couldn't see the appeal, honestly. Sure, Sam was older and sure that was a draw in itself, but the dude was a real creep. That was putting it mildly; what he'd pulled with Leah Clearwater was unforgivable as far as he was concerned. His meathead sidekicks weren't much better either. And now Jake and Embry had ditched him to become part of Uley's messed up bunch of misfits.

Slipping in the mud at the end of the path as he stepped clear of the trees, Quil wished he could just forget that his best friends had turned their backs on him; wish he could forget that they had been taken from him. He walked along the side of the road heading back into town. He hadn't realized he had ventured so far out hoping to catch up with Jake and Embry.

The distinctive rumble of Bella Swan's truck approached from behind. He stopped as the trucked rolled to a stop next to him and Bella leaned over to push the passenger door open.

At least not everyone had turned their back on him.


	14. 16 Stick a Pin in it

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #16 (Stick a Pin in it)  
[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-31-30-1_zps321coqzv.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Bella Swan / Jacob Black  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 475

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

* * *

 

His hand was warm against my closed eyelids. His breath was hot against my ear as he spoke soft and low.

"No peeking."

"Jake! What are you doing?" I giggled. I reached up to try and pull his hand from my eyes, but he wouldn't let me free.

"Trust me, Bells? This will be fun. I promise." He planted a quick peck on my cheek before continuing. "Put your hand up?" he asked.

I hesitated only a moment before cautiously raising my right hand in front of me. His simply asking for my trust was all it took for me to go along with whatever he had planned. I did trust him—completely.

He brushed his finger against my palm a moment before moving the tiny item he held up to meet my finger tips. "Take the pin, Bells," he coaxed, making sure I had the pin in my grasp before kissing my cheek again and pulling his hand away from mine.

With one hand still covering my eyes and his other on my hip, he guided me forward a couple of steps. "Keep your eyes closed, please?" Jacob reminded me before taking a step back and taking his hands away. "Okay, Bella, just like when we played pin the tail on the donkey when we were kids, stick the pin on the page," he instructed.

I couldn't help the silly grin I knew was on my face; he always made things fun and exciting. That was just a tiny part of what I loved about him. I stepped forward with my hands up in front of me until my fingers brushed the cool surface of the paper on the wall. I ran my hands over the surface, finding the edges to learn how big the sheet was.

"I'm not finding the donkey's tail, am I?" I asked Jake over my shoulder. I wanted to be sure I wouldn't fail miserably if I placed the pin in the middle of the page.

"No. It's not a donkey," he laughed. "Go ahead."

Running my fingers over the paper again, I decided on a spot I thought was about the center of the page, about a quarter of the way down. "Can I look, now?"

"Um...sure," Jacob laughed.

The paper was a world map, and the map pin with the red head that Jake had given me was stuck in the middle of the Black Sea. I laughed and turned around to face Jacob with me face screwed up in confusion.

"It was supposed to be a fun way to pick where we would go on our pretend honeymoon," he explained with a shrug. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch. "You want to marry me anyway, Bells?" He asked with a grin as he pulled his mother's ring from the pouch.


	15. 11 Omen

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #11 (Omen)

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-30-44-1_zpshiqnuqtd.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Leah Clearwater  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 345

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

* * *

 

 

The sun was shining the day Leah Clearwater left La Push for the first time with no intention of returning. She had had her bags packed for weeks, ready to leave but not able to make the move to do it. She woke to the feeling of sunlight filtering through her window, making her eyelids glow orange. The change—the sun—was enough to make her pull the trigger on her plan to leave the life she'd known behind. She left letters for her mom and brother on the kitchen table, and snuck out the back door with a small backpack worth of belongs over her shoulder before either of them were awake.  She caught the first bus into Forks, and walked far enough out of town on the highway that none of the deputies would bother her before attaching the little cardboard **SEATTLE** sign to her backpack. Her plan was to hitch a ride into the city where she could become another nameless face in the crowd.

The sun so rarely shone in the little corner of the world she had called home for her whole life, and she soaked it up greedily; let it warm her from the inside out until it radiated from her face in a broad smile. She'd only been walking along the shoulder for a little more than half an hour when a car pulled over and stopped a few yards ahead. A girl about Leah's own age leaned out the front passenger window, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand. The offer of a ride was given and Leah gladly accepted, climbing into the backseat and greeting the pair of young women in the car.

Leah decided the sun shining down on her the day she changed her life must be an omen, and she decided to take it for the good sign it felt like. Rolling down the window, Leah let the wind blow through her hair as she looked back at the life she was more than happy to leave behind, and smiled.

 

 

 


	16. 08 Waiting

[The Twilight Twenty-Five  
](http://thetwilight25.com)Prompt: #8 (Waiting)

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-30-04-1_zpsiem2bydw.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Leah Clearwater  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 356  
Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

 

* * *

She watched as the bartender lined up four martini glasses, added some frilly garnish to each and then poured a sickly sweet looking concoction into them from the shaker he'd prepared. She knew, without question, that the drinks were headed for the obnoxious group of giggling women in the corner.

Leah Clearwater had spent years struggling with not being one of  _those girls_. Not that she had ever wanted to be like them. She had only wanted to fit in; to be normal. She wanted to have girl friends, or at least friends that liked her because of who she was, not because they had been thrown together by supernatural forces.

She watched as the women in the corner laughed and shrieked in what outwardly looked like joy, but she wondered if they, too, were just playing a role. She often wondered how many people she saw in a day were living lies like she had done for so long.

Once Leah hard learned to who she was—who she really was—she had learned that she didn't need that to be happy. She didn't need shallow women to spend her time with to fit in.  That wasn't who she was. She had found peace in knowing that she didn't need to answer to anyone but herself; that she didn't owe anyone anything despite what the tribal elders had lead her to believe for so long. She could only be responsible for herself. Coming to that realization had been the push she needed to let go of all the baggage she had carried around for years. It had let her learn to smile again; to find true happiness—not the superficial happiness she had strived for, for years.

Letting go of the hurt and anger had allowed her to learn to love herself, and then to love someone else. The same someone else she caught sight of making his way across the crowded bar. "Sorry to keep you waiting," he said with a smile as he slipped into the seat next to her.

"I don't mind waiting for you," she confessed with a smile of her own.


	17. 04 In the Garage

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #4 (In the Garage)

[ ](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-29-26-1_zpsy33skhoc.png)

Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Jacob Black, Embry Call, Quil Aterea  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 369

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

 

* * *

 

On quiet days when none of them had patrol, or work, or commitments with their imprints (Embry of course never had such commitments), Jacob, Quil and Embry would sit in Jake's garage just like they had before the supernatural had taken over their lives. They would try to get to a point where that other world didn't exist, but it always seemed just out of reach; something always reminding the boys that their lives would never be their own again.

"Hey, we should start a band," Quil suggested on one such afternoon. Sitting forward on the milk crate he had perched himself on, he looked excitedly between his two best friends.

Embry scoffed and tossed a piece of popcorn at Quil's head. "That would be pretty tough to do, Dude; none of us play an instrument," Embry said as if this were just a minor detail that Quil had forgotten.

"So? We'll learn how," Quil shrugged.

"Sure. Just like that, huh?" Jacob laughed. He reached over and shoved Quil's shoulder, toppling him off his make-shift stool onto the dirty garage floor.

"Come on!" he said, getting up and dusting himself off. "You can sing, Emb. We've heard you. And you used to take piano lessons, right?"

"I sucked so bad my mom let me quit, remember? And there's no way I'm singing in front of people, man. Keep dreaming," Embry replied.

"Way to live the dream guys." Quil sat back on his create sulking.

"Alight, smart guy. What would we name this supposed band if we miraculously learned to play? Huh?" Jake, always the peacekeeper, asked. "That's the best part of starting a band, isn't it? Picking out a name?"

Embry shook his head and laughed at his friends, as Quil perked up again.

"Right you are, Jake, my man! So, what would it be?"

They tossed increasingly ridiculous names back and forth (The Dudes, Band of Brothers, The Garage) until Embry came up with what seemed like an obvious next step. "How about The Wolf Pack," he suggested. They all laughed briefly before the reality they had been enjoying a breather from hit them full force.

The mood in the garage sobered, as the three friends fell silent.


	18. 03 Haven

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #3 (Haven)

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-29-16-1_zpsxj16geob.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Paul Lahote / Rachel Black  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 362

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

 

* * *

 

When they had bought the house north of town along the old highway, she had complained that it would be too isolated; that the quiet would kill her. She had left the reservation once to get away from the seclusion and the 'small town-ness', saying that it was slowly killing her on the inside. Now she seemed to thrive on the peace and quiet. He knew just where she'd be when he wasn't able to find her in the house when he got home from work.

Sure enough, when he stepped out on the front porch, there she was, lying on the faded yellow centre line of the old pot-hole ridden street in front of their house. When the state had changed the route of the highway, this stretch of road that had only a few acreages along it became basically abandoned. The new highway led into the subdivision behind their land, leaving this portion of road to go back to nature.

Paul watched the peaceful rise and fall of his wife's slow breaths, the quiet almost smile on her lips and the gentle flutter of her eyelashes as the dappled sunlight flitted across her closed eyes. He loved her more every time he looked at her. If he didn't know her better, he would say that she had fallen asleep in the middle of the road, but he knew from experience that she was just quietly listening to the world around her, and no matter how quiet and sneaky he was, he'd never be able to get to her without her knowing it.

He stepped out of his heavy work boots, leaving them on the porch as he padded barefoot down the steps and across the walkway to the pavement's edge. He folded his legs underneath him to sit cross-legged and gently cradled her head in his lap, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

They sat quietly together on the pavement, warm from the afternoon sun. She no longer craved the anonymity that a large city provided; she no longer wanted the hustle and bustle. She needed only this quiet haven they had secured for themselves.


	19. 05 Growing Up

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)  
Prompt: #5 Growing Up

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-29-36-1_zps8p7oqcz8.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Quil Ateara / Claire Young  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 315  
Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

 

* * *

 

"Stop! Put me down!" Claire squirmed and kicked as Quil swooped down and tossed her over his shoulder. She pounded her fists against his back without getting so much as an acknowledgement from the bone-headed wolf boy. "I mean is, Quil. Stop!" She resorted to hiking up the tail end of his t-shirt and pinching him on the side in order to finally get a reaction.

 

He squawked and placed her back on her feet. The joyful grin fell from his face as he looked at Claire and realized she was actually upset with him. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked, genuinely worried at her severe reaction. He reached out and ran his hand affectionately over her cheek, trying to get her to look at him. "Claire-Bear?"

"Don't call me Claire-Bear," Claire huffed, brushing his hand from her face. "I'm not a baby anymore, Quil. You have to stop treating me like I am."

She turned and started to walk away, leaving Quil standing with a dumbfounded look on his face. He watched as Claire, now a young woman, walked away from him, and wondered how he hadn't noticed.    
"Claire, wait up." She was only a short distance away when he called out to her. She turned to wait as he jogged to catch up. "I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me?" Quil asked her with a sincere apologetic look. "You're not a kid anymore," Quil agreed with her earlier statement. "That's going to take some getting used to, I guess, but I'll work on it, okay. Be patient with me?"

Claire watched Quil's earnest face a moment and thought he looked like a puppy that had been caught being bad. She smiled; never able to stay mad at him for long. "Okay," she agreed with a nod and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug.


	20. 21 Take the Plunge

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com)

Prompt: #21 Take the Plunge

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-32-15-1_zps8ma3wa7x.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Bella Swan / Jacob Black  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 306

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).  
  


* * *

 

Deciding to take the plunge, so to speak, was one of the most terrifying things Bella Swan had ever done. She didn't doubt that Jacob loved her. There was really no way that she could question that. She did, however, question if she could ever fully let go of Edward and love Jacob the way he deserved to be loved.

And he did deserve to be loved. He was kind, and generous, and gave everything he had to those he loved. He loved with his whole heart and soul, never holding anything back; knowing that made Bella feel guilty at times. She did love Jacob—of course she did—but did she love him enough? Did she love him the right way?

Jacob truly listened to her when she spoke, regardless of it being about something he was interested in or not. He even listened to her whine and moan about losing Edward for all that time. He was always there when she needed him, no matter how poorly she had treated him in the past. And she had treated him poorly. He respected her and wanted what was best for her, even if she decided what was best for her wasn't him.

Maybe he was what was best for her.

Maybe she just needed to jump in with both feet and let him catch her.

Maybe it was time to stop fighting what had seemed so completely inevitable since they were little kids, and just  _let_  herself fall in love with Jacob Black.

She startled at the sound of Jacob's voice filtering through her thoughts "Bells? Did you hear me?" He asked, with a bemused look on his face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Jake, I'm great," she replied with a smile which broadened as she stood up her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek.


	21. 23 Strength

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #23 Strength

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-32-36-1_zpsrmf1gjv8.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Leah Clearwater, Seth Clearwater  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 394

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).  
  


* * *

 

 

She couldn't catch her breath; her lungs screaming for air that just wouldn't come.

The walls felt like they were pressing in on her. The room she had taken comfort in her whole life suddenly felt like a prison. Remembering all the moments she had shared with him in this very room.

She couldn't take it.

She needed to be anywhere but in this room.

Leah slid her window open and wrestled the screen out of the frame. She climbed through using the chair from her desk. She crab crawled across the roof of the garage taking deep gulping breaths once she was out of site of her window.

Sam had left her. Sam, who had been her reason for happiness, had turned his back on her without even a reason why. He had only said that things were through between them. That he was sorry. That there was no changing his mind and No, there was nothing she could do to fix it; whatever  _it_  was.

She had thought—hoped—since his return from the mysterious trek into the forest that he refused to tell her about, that they could get back to where they had been before he disappeared. They had been talking about what they would do when she graduated; talking about getting married. And now, he wanted nothing more to do with her ever again.

Leah slid down the wall of the house, sitting heavily on the garage roof. She raised her knees and curled her arms around them, trying to hold herself together as her chest heaved with sobs she was unable to stop. She buried her face in her folded arms and let the grief wash over her. Letting go of her hopes and dreams as her tears fell.

She had been so wrapped up in her grief that she didn't notice her brother had joined her on the roof until he reached a tentative hand out to her and touched her arm. "Whatever it is, it will be okay, eventually, Leah," Seth said as he shifted up the roof, sitting next to Leah and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He sat quietly, holding Leah as she cried for her loss; being strong for her when she wasn't able to be strong for herself. No matter their differences, Seth would always be there for his sister.


	22. 15 Hope

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com)

Prompt: #15 Hope

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-31-19-1_zps4e4in2yy.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Charlie Swan (Bella Swan)   
Rating: T  
Word Count: 426

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

* * *

 

I watched Bella sitting in the living room, curled up in the armchair, a book discarded in her lap as she stared vacantly out the window. She had been doing the same thing—doing nothing—for nearly four months now, and I was at my wit's end. I didn't know what to do for her. I felt like I had failed her in the worst possible way because I couldn't make her realize that her life wasn't over because some stupid boy had decided he didn't want her anymore. I couldn't make her see she was worth more than what some no good, rich-kid asshole thought of her.

She was so much more than that. She was smart and beautiful and genuinely a nice person. I had often wished that I could take credit for the amazing person she had grown to be, but it was all her mother, Renee. It never surprised me that Renee had done such a great job raising Bella, she herself was a wonderful woman and I still loved her despite the heartache she had caused me. Perhaps Bella wasn't that different than me, after all.

The kettle started to boil in the kitchen and I reluctantly turned away from watching Bella. As I stirred the instant coffee granules into the boiling water I thought about sending Bella back to live with her mother again. As much as I would miss having her here with me, it might be good for Bella to be away from the places that reminded her of that Cullen kid; they say a change is as good as a rest after all. Or, maybe she just needed a little more time.

I reached for a second cup in the cupboard and the hot chocolate mix, thinking that if I could just let Bella know that I loved her and that I would always be there for her, maybe she would come back around and start to heal. Lord knows I knew healing a broken heart wasn't an easy task. I found a package of mini marshmallows in the cupboard next to the cocoa mix and added a few to her cup, smiling at how she loved marshmallows as a kid.

I passed Bella the cup of cocoa when I went back in the living room, trying my best at a reassuring smile. She eyed the cup curiously and the look she gave me in return, her lips curving up ever so slightly, gave me hope that I just might get my Bells back after all.


	23. 24 Inner Turmoil

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #24 Inner Turmoil

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-32-46-1_zpskvxkgvyr.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Emily Young/Sam Uley  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 388

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

* * *

 

 

_It's going to sound crazy, I know, but you can feel it too, can't you?_

Sam's words echoed in her mind as Emily walked along the beach. She'd been at the water's edge for a long time, having fled from Sam as he tried to explain why he wanted to be with her instead of Leah; Leah, her cousin, whom Sam had been ready to marry only yesterday.

Emily had told Sam to leave her alone, that she could never hurt Leah in such a way, but she couldn't deny that he had been right; she did feel something pulling her toward him. She didn't want to see him ever again and at the same time wanted to be with him right now.

She ran her hands through her hair in frustration as she turned in the other direction to make another trek down the beach; she'd lost count of how many times she'd walked up and down the sand now. The sun was starting to set and the wind was picking up, but she still felt too keyed up to return to her Clearwater's house where she was staying while in La Push. She wasn't ready to face Leah yet, knowing that Sam must have spoken to her as well. Eventually, she would have to go and face them both, but she wasn't ready to do that just yet. She needed to make sense of what Sam had told her, and convince herself that it was simply crazy. There was no such thing as ...

_"... destiny. Like soul mates; we're supposed to be together, Emily. I'm meant to be with you, I can feel it." Sam had said in earnest as he followed Emily across the Clearwater's lawn._

_"Stop it, Sam! You're meant to be with Leah. You don't even know me," Emily had protested. "Please, just leave me alone."_

Emily stopped and looked out to the open ocean, her mind still a flurry of panic and denial as a quiet calm fell over her. She turned around slowly, hoping that her instincts were wrong. That hope was crushed as Sam stepped out of the tree line and made his way over to her. She did feel the connection to him, and she couldn't deny that just being with him made her feel more at ease.


	24. 22 Homecoming

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #22 Homecoming

[](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-32-24-1_zpsbqbumsqc.png)  
Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Leah Clearwater (Seth Clearwater)  
Rating: K  
Word Count: 337

Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

* * *

 

 

There were very few things that could bring Leah Clearwater back to La Push. She deemed only family funerals and weddings as possible reasons she would consider making the journey back to the reservation she'd left nearly ten years before. With both her mom and brother alive and well, that left only a wedding. Not just any wedding either, because let's face it, she hadn't made the trip home for any of the other pack weddings. This wedding was a different story. This was her little brother's wedding, and there was no way she was going to miss that.

A wave of nostalgia swept over her as she turned onto the 110, on her final leg of her drive from the city. It had been a long time since she'd been in the woods surrounding La Push, but the sense of calm the forest always brought her flooded in. The sun was filtering through the trees, which was a rare treat for the soggy North West, and Leah remembered the days like this she'd spent running patrol with her pack brothers.

Leaving La Push had been a difficult choice, but one she didn't regret making. She needed to get away from there to find herself and finally live her life. She knew that it hadn't been easy on the pack to let her go, but was grateful that they had let her make a clean break.

As she got within a few miles of the reservation, a shadow in the trees caught her eye. If she didn't know better, she would have passed it off as a play of light and not the wolf escort she knew it to be. She slowed down enough to allow Seth to run alongside the car at a comfortable pace, and waited on the back steps of the house once she had pulled into the driveway of their house.

"Thanks for coming home, Leah," Seth said as he came bounding out of the trees and wrapped her in a huge hug.


	25. 20 That's What Friends Are For

[The Twilight Twenty-Five](http://thetwilight25.com/)

Prompt: #20 That's What Friends Are For

[ ](http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg570/mindyanna_smith/Screenshot_2017-06-16-00-32-07-1_zpsiav9ekma.png)

Pen Name: Maddie-the-Muse  
Pairing/Character(s): Embry Call, Quil Ateara, (Claire Young)  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 360  
Photo prompts can be found [here](http://thetwilight25.com/round-eight/prompts).

* * *

 

 

Embry walked through the apartment door, absentmindedly flipping through the mail he'd checked on the way up. He walked into the kitchen, placing the bills on the counter and the junk mail in the recycling bin, before opening the fridge to grab a can of beer. He planned to park himself in front of the tv and not move for the rest of the night.

That plan was cut short as he turned the corner from the kitchen to find the living room furniture had been moved around and reassembled into a blanket fort. He stood a moment to take in the unusual sight before stepping further into the room and addressing the pile of sheets and pillows.

"Quil? You in there?" he asked crouching down at the mouth of the fort formed between the back of the armchair and the sofa. He waited for the unintelligible grunt of an answer Quil returned before lifting the flap of the sheet to peer inside.

Quil had constructed quite the den for himself. In addition to the sheets used to frame the walls of the fort, he had taken the duvet and pillows off his bed and made a soft nest. In which he was burrowed with only his face poking out, staring toward the tv, which had been incorporated into the fort, turned on, but muted.

"What's up?" Embry asked, crawling into the fort with his best friend. He leaned back against the front of the sofa, careful not to disturb Quil's careful blanket architecture. Several minutes passed before Quil answered the question, but Embry didn't push. He knew Quil would tell him when he was ready to.

"She sent me packing, dude," Quil finally said with a bitter huffed laugh. "Said she couldn't think of me like that, and that having me hanging around all the time was chasing the guys off. So, I guess that's it," he finished with a shrug.

Embry passed him the can of beer he'd gotten from the fridge and shoved his shoulder into Quil's. They sat in the fort together for the rest of the night, eating leftover pizza and watching mindless movies.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](http://wordsnwolves.tumblr.com/) if anyone is interested.


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